Friendship Is Weakness
by RhiDaBatch3
Summary: "Friendship is just something those weak at heart do to fool themselves into a false sense of security." Tendershipping RyouxBakura


_"Friendship is just something those weak at heart do to fool themselves into a false sense of security."_

...

"Do you really think that...?" Ryou looked up at his dark with glossy mocha hues, red from sobbing what he thought was quietly into his pillow. He was wrong, however, as Bakura had managed to hear and come to see just what the boy was blubbering over. "Is that really what you think friendship is?"

Bakura looked the smaller one over for a moment. Ryou had gone through so much in is short life and it had made him very mature for his age. It was to be expected for the boy to break down now and then. Still, it annoyed Bakura to hear him cry. Boy's shouldn't cry... right? The darker male scoffed, arms crossing over his chest in the usual matter as he leaned against the frame of Ryou's door. "Of course I mean it. It's true, after all. That is what makes that damn Pharaoh so blasted weak. It is his 'ties' and 'bonds' to those foolish friendship-obsessed lunes."

"They're not lunes nor are the foolish..." Ryou said quietly.

"Oh, aren't they? I'm assuming they're the reason you're up here balling like a small child." The British native cringed a little, holding the pillow he had closer to himself and Bakura smirked slightly. Of course he was right. He could read Ryou like a book. "You see? Friendship does not exist. Any person who says he fights for his friends or any bull shit of the sort is wrong and weak. It's what those who are alone say to make themselves seem less miserable to themself and to others." Bakura turned his head to gaze out the window. "It's quite pathetic really."

Ryou took in everything Bakura said. Anything the older male said was usually hate and spite filled, but Ryou still listened to each thing. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he was just a glutton for punishment with hate-filled words. But this time, Ryou took this particular speech rather hard. He couldn't help but relate to the 'weak' person Bakura spoke of. He knew the dark was referring to Atemu, but it just... hit close to home. The reason Ryou did cling so desperately to those who didn't trust him was because he was afraid of being alone again. Even if it was a facade of a friendship, he liked thinking Yuugi and the others were his friends. It... made him feel better about himself. Ryou's head dropped so he was looking down at his feet as he held the pillow closer against himself. "I guess that makes me pathetic then, huh...?"

Bakura looked over at the boy, frown taking the place of the smug grin he had over his thoughts on the Pharaoh. For some reason, the words _'you're not at all pathetic Ryou_' were dying to come out of his mouth. But Bakura locked them away and scoffed, dark brown eyes glancing away from the boy. "You are." His words didn't seem to help as he could see a few more water drops fall from Ryou's pale cheeks and hit the dark blue comforter. "But for different reasons." This got his attention and Ryou looked over at him.

"Wh-What do you mean by that?"

Bakura sighed, making it sound annoyed. His body shifted so his weight was more against the frame. Dark eyes looked back at Ryou as he spoke. "I mean you are pathetic. But not because you try to fool yourself with friends."

Ryou sniffled a little, rubbing his eyes. He wasn't sure if Bakura was just adding insult to injure or what but it was making him feel worse. Still, Ryou didn't want him to leave... Not just yet. "B-But I do! I try so hard to get them to trust me and try t-to befriend them! I LIKE thinking I'm part of their group and I-I wish I could talk to other people so maybe I could find a friend! B-Bakura you have no idea h-how bad I want a friend!" Tears were falling off his cheeks again so he hugged the pillow in an attempt to stop them and to try and hide it. He knew he had to sound like some little seven year old crying to their mom. "I-I'm just as weak as the Pharaoh..."

"No you are not!" Bakura snapped, body leaving the door to step closer to Ryou. The boy jumped, head jerking over to look at him. "You are nothing like that worthless coward! He hides behind his so called 'friends'. He's just as arrogant and weak as the rest of those fools!" Bakura's dark eyes narrowed slightly on Ryou. "Friendship is for the weak at heart boy. You may be weak, but you aren't weak at heart." Ryou looked up at him more, glossy hues blinking up at him in confusion. The darker male sighed annoyed and ran a hand through his tangled spiky locks. He looked away, not sure how he was going to word this or why he was going through the trouble of making Ryou feel better...

"When your mother and sister died, your dad started leaving you alone for months and then years on end. You kept moving schools because your friends kept going into coma's. You got picked on for your looks, the way you speak, and then later the way you act." Bakura looked back at the boy who had curled back into his pillow. "How do you think you managed to get through all of that, hm? A normal mortal would have killed themselves. I should know."

Bakura's words cut like a knife. He brought up memories a part of Ryou wished he could have forgotten. Still, he didn't want to anger Bakura anymore then need be. "I-I had the Sennen Ring and I-I had... you." He glanced up at Bakura who just scoffed and shook his head.

"No, I wasn't a part of you getting through any of that. Granted I am the reason behind most of your pain, I'm not the reason you got through any of it." For some reason he felt the slightest bit of guilt over what he'd done to Ryou. It was a strange feeling. One he hadn't felt since he was a child. Yet he pushed the feeling away and went back to talking. "You got through it by yourself because you're strong willed."

"T-Then how come I couldn't fight off y-your control back then?"

Bakura simply scoffed at that remark as if it went without saying why. "Because my power can not be beaten. Yes, you were the strongest will I've ever had to break through to control, but it was no match for me." Ryou looked back down at his feet. Bakura sighed inwardly. Why was he doing this again...? "My point is you're not weak in that aspect. You have a strong will and refused to let any of the bad things get to you. Regardless of what ever hell I threw you into, you chose to get out of it and you did it without anyone else's help."

Bakura reached over, forcing Ryou's chin up to meet his dark gaze. "Those idiots you try so desperately to be friends with did nothing for you and they never will. You are where you are because you chose to do it. You may have wished for friends to accept you but who needs them when you're strong by yourself? The idiotic Pharaoh NEEDED those mortals because he couldn't face me. He had a weak will and an even weaker power. Without those idiots he would have fallen under my grasp." Bakura shook those thoughts away and looked back at Ryou. "You're weak and pathetic because you haven't realized this yet. Not because you think like that. You got where you are without any help and that makes you stronger then that worthless excuse for a Pharaoh and his gang of elves. Do you understand me Ryou?"

Ryou just stared at him for a moment. His lower lip quivered so he bit it to try and stop. Bakura was... being nice. He was making him feel better. And... He'd used his name. Ryou couldn't think of a single time Bakura had used his real name... That realization hit hard and the British native pushed the pillow aside and flung himself at Bakura. His lanky arms curled around the taller male and his face burrowed into his neck. Bakura was shell shocked for a second. His arms were out as if a deadly bear was mauling him and his eyes looked down at Ryou like he had lost it. "Th-Thank you Bakura. Th-That means more t-to me than anything in the world..." Ryou's grip tightened as his sobs grew and Bakura caved. Slowly his arms came to rest on Ryou's back and he slightly leaned his head against the back of the sobbing boys.

"Shut up..." He muttered quietly as one of his hands moved slowly up Ryou's back and pulled him closer. Ryou just clung to him, face in Bakura's neck as his body was rocked with sobs. It felt nice to be held... Even if it was just for the moment and Bakura would go back to hating him again. There wasn't anywhere else's he'd rather be then here... Bakura was showing a side Ryou didn't even think the man had. He was caring and trying to comfort him. Granted he was awkwardly rubbing Ryou's back, it felt so nice to the boy who hadn't had a touch like that since his mother passed.

That thought sent a new wave of tears and Ryou clung more. Bakura winced slightly as Ryou's grip around his neck grew tighter. Still, he didn't push him away. Only held him in the awkward manner he saw people do on TV. Whatever made the boy cry harder would pass... So in the meantime, Bakura glanced up at the ceiling, mind racing with thoughts and emotions. He didn't notice that Ryou's grip had loosened and his breathing had evened back out until Ryou leaned away and the weight in his lap shifted. He looked back down at Ryou and was about to speak but ended up being big eyed and speechless. Ryou had leaned in and kissed him! The boy was... kissing him! Bakura's mind screamed _'shove him away!'_ but his body wasn't listening. Instead, his eyes slowly slid shut and he leaned in more kissing him back. Who gave a shit what this would lead to? He'd already let the boy sob in his arms. What was done was done. Besides, Ryou's lips were so warm...

After what seemed like only seconds, Ryou pulled back, eyes imminently falling down cast so his snow white bangs fell and covered his face. Bakura just opened his eyes and looked at him. "I-I'm so sorry-! I didn't-! I wasn't-! I mean I just-mmpf!" It was Ryou's turn to stare in shock as his lips were taken over. Bakura had once again grabbed hold of the boy's chin and pulled him in for another kiss.

After a moment, Bakura broke away, dark eyes looking up into Ryou's lighter, glassier ones. "Don't be sorry. Do things because you want to and stop caring so much what everyone else thinks." Bakura grinned a little, head tilting just slightly in the cocky manner he always seemed to do. "Besides. There's no reason to be sorry if you didn't offended anyone." He grinned more as Ryou's confused facial features blushed dark crimson and he hid went to hide his face again. Bakura caught his hands though and made the boy look back at him. "Take charge, Ryou. Stop living for others and realize your better than any of those pricks. Do you understand me?" The blushing British native nodded, body trembling. Bakura just kept grinning. "And for once in your life, stop being so self conscious." Ryou just looked at him and after a moment the younger male smiled big at him and nodded his head. Bakura grinned back and tussled his hair. "Good."

...

**NOTE:** BA-HAH. I have no idea where this came from but hey, a new story is a story, right? Well regardless, the inspiration came from two different places. Mainly my story I wrote a while back called "Ryou's Rant" where Bakura says that. I re-read it and had the idea to go into more detail about it. The second place was this amazing guy I met. He's really great and I think he really does care about me... But enough about the rambling of a love-sick college-student! Reviews are like crack and feed me to update other things~! Oh and yes. I'm aware it ends on a rather... 'odd' note. Hush. It's 5 am.


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